Tomoe Nage

Tomoe Nage, otherwise known as a circular throw, is included in the original forty throws developed by Jigoro Kano. It is also currently part of the 67 throws of the Kodokan Judo. Classified as a front sacrifice throw, it is oftentimes a move to answer an aggressive opponent who keeps attacking forward.

How to perform the Tomoe Nage?

To perform the Tomoe Nage, you can do it with different grips. A basic setup is to use the collar and sleeve grip. Some use the tricep grip while others use cuff as their control for the arms. Tomoe Nage is not an effective move if the person is Uke moves back. It means that you will need to bait the Uke to go forward.

It is important to break the Uke’s posture to be able to hit the Tomoe Nage efficiently. To do this will need to have a high collar grip. You also need to flex your elbow near your body to get the head forward. Next, you want to post your leg to the Uke’s hip as you fall on the mat. Gravity plus your high collar grip will help bring the posture down making the Uke go forward.

Another important detail about hitting a Tomoe Nage is to post the leg on the same side where you are controlling the sleeve. This prevents the Uke from countering the move by either removing the leg or simply by pushing the foot out of the hips.

The common mistake of Tori is to simply extend the leg. It is easier for the opponent to adjust his or her base this way. Instead, while controlling the collar, it is important to pull to make the hips light. It is important to get your knees to your chest. The motion is the same as doing a leg press.

Finishing the Tomoe Nage differs depending on the Tori’s preference. A classic way to finish a Tomoe Nage is to throw the Uke at an angle. Instead of simply rolling back, you want to throw at the same direction on the same side where you have control of the arm. The shoulder is a good marker where you want the Uke to land.

As for the Tori, it is important to roll on your shoulder. A basic back roll means that you have to look one way and roll on one shoulder.

Next, you also need to fight for the top. It is ideal to go for mount if you finish the Tomoe Nage. This means you still have full control of the uke.

Common Response to Tomoe Nage

Tomoe Nage is a risky move. If you are doing it against someone taller and agile, completing the throw can be difficult. A common counter is for the Uke to do a cartwheel. Since the typical grip of a Tori includes collar and sleeve, the uke still has an arm that he or she can post and do a cartwheel. Of course, the Tori can lessen the probability of a cartwheel counter to the Tomoe Nage by redirecting the throw in the direction of the shoulder.

Another solution to an uke’s cartwheel is to simply change your grips from the get-go. Instead of holding the collar and the sleeve, you can opt to have double sleeve control. Though you can nullify the cartwheel counter, you have to anticipate the fact that your opponent is going to have an easier time maintaining his or her base simply by squatting down. If you opt to control both sleeves, it is important to have good timing when it comes to executing the Tomoe Nage.

Finishing the Tomoe Nage with a Submission

Aside from finishing the throw, Tomoe Nage can also be a good way to finish an opponent with a submission. There are different options that you can try if you get your opponent’s hip up in the air with a collar and sleeve grip.

A popular submission from this throw is to go for an armbar. By controlling one arm, lifting the uke’s hip can serve as a distraction allowing you to swivel your hip and finish the armbar while the opponent is up in the air.

Another possible finish from a Tomoe Nage is a Canto choke. The Canto Choke is named after the Brazilian Judoka Flavio Canto. The Canto choke is gaining popularity nowadays among Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitors including Caio Terra and Tomoyuki Hashimoto. They’ve used the Canto Choke when dealing with an opponent who tends to trap the leg during a knee slice attempt. The only difference is that Tomoyuki Hashimoto tends to use the Canto Choke also to make the opponent flatten his back to remove the pressure from the choke, making it easier to finish the knee slice attempt.

To set up the Canto Choke from a Tomoe Nage attempt, you can do this either with a cross collar grip or a same side collar grip. However, in both instances, you will need to have a high grip. The radial bone should be in contact with the neck. This way, once you get the leg over the neck, it is easier to get the choke.

To finish the choke, you will need to get the calf on top of the neck. Next, you also need to contract the calf by doing an active foot. That’s when you hack down and twist the grip.

What Makes Tomoe Nage Difficult?

There are a lot of issues that you might encounter when dealing with Tomoe Nage. For one, you don’t get to see someone who will just recklessly move forward. Judokas who typically move forward also have their attack typically an Ashi Waza to get you off your feet making it difficult for you to get your leg active to step on the hip.

In addition to this, unlike other throws that you can do some Uchikomi to practice your entry and off-balancing, Tomoe Nage is usually practised in its entirety. This way, you will need to have a better understanding of how the throw works. And also, drills work to make sure that you know when to go for a Tomoe Nage.

About the author

Richard Presley

A purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Richard is the owner and primary writer of Attack The back. Check out my About Me Page to learn more!

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